Vanilla Bean Cake with Honey Vanilla Buttercream and Figs

Posted by Michele at 6:47 PM

This embodies the warm flavors of fall with the final summer harvest of figs.  We picked up the dozen I used from the local farmers market yesterday and yummy oh yummy... My mother-in-law says this is her new favorite dessert.

For your convenience, you can have the homemade recipe and my thoughts on a cheat (for the dry cake ingredients!)

The homemade... (It's my basic butter cake with added vanilla)
Basic Butter Cake:
Mix & Set Aside: 2c A.P. flour, 1tbsp baking powder, 1tsp salt
Cream: 1/2c softened butter, 4oz. applesauce (a snack size cup)
Slowly beat in: 2/3c white sugar, 1/2c brown sugar
Add in, one at a time, and mix well: 6oz plain Greek yogurt, 1tbsp vanilla, 2 eggs + 1 egg white, 1/6c
almond milk, and 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped.
Add in the flour mixture slowly then beat on medium-high for 2 minutes
Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes (however your oven works) until done. Makes three, 8" squares.

If you dont want to mix your own, take a box of Duncan Hines French Vanilla and add 1/4c oil, 1/4c Greek yogurt, 1 1/3c water, 2 eggs + 1 egg white, 1tbsp vanilla, and 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped.
Beat on medium-high for 2 minutes
Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes (however your oven works) until done. Makes three, 8" squares.

For the frosting...
Beat 1 cup of softened butter, 2tbsp raw honey, 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped, and 1tbsp vanilla until light and fluffy.  A quarter cup at a time, add in 3 cups of powdered sugar, beating well between additions.  After you last addition, drizzle in up to 1/6 cup almond milk (add only as much as you need to make the consistency correct for frosting).

For the fig filling...
In a food processor, process on high: 12 small green and ripe peeled figs with 1tbsp raw honey.  Pour into a bowl and whisk in 1tbsp cornstarch.  Sit aside for half an hour while you cook and cool your cakes.

When the cake is compelely cooled, ice your first layer with the frosting then spoon over a thin layer of the fig filling.  Cover with a cake and repeat.  Cover with the top layer of cake.  Frost the outside of the cake.  When you serve each piece, drizzle over some of the fig mixture.

Enjoy this combo of summer and fall as the season changes!